New Orleans: Movie and TV Show Tour

New Orleans has played itself, and many other places, on screen. Within the first fifteen minutes, you may be tracing locations from NCIS: New Orleans, The Originals, Your Honor, Runaway Jury, The Big Easy, and even The Simpsons. I like that this is not just a roll call of film titles. Guide Trevor McQueen ties screen locations to the French Quarter’s buildings, streets, ghosts, and daily life.

I especially like the small-group format, which lets Trevor ask what you want to see and adjust the walk around your favorite shows. I also like the halfway break, a useful pause in a two-hour walk. The main consideration is that this is still a walking tour over old walkways, with traffic and weather to contend with, so comfortable shoes and a sensible pace matter.

Quick take: what makes this tour worth your time

• See screen locations almost at once: The opening stretch quickly brings up major New Orleans productions, from NCIS: New Orleans to The Originals.
• Trevor McQueen leads the walk: He is the named guide most often associated with this experience and brings film research, city knowledge, and a playful style.
• Your interests shape the route: Tell the guide your favorite films or series at the beginning, and he can point out matching locations and avoid spoilers when possible.
• The French Quarter is the backdrop: You walk Chartres Street, cross Jackson Square, visit the Old Ursuline Convent, and return along Royal Street.
• Film trivia comes with city context: Expect talk about architecture, production problems, celebrity homes, ghost stories, and New Orleans culture.
• The price is modest for a private-feeling walk: At $30 per person, the value is strongest if you like movies, television, or getting practical city tips from a local.

Starting at the Supreme Court Building on Royal Street

Meet at 400 Royal Street, on the steps of the Supreme Court Building across from Brennan’s Restaurant. Arrive about 15 minutes early. French Quarter traffic can be unpredictable, and you do not want to begin the walk flustered or searching for the meeting point.

The courthouse is a fitting start. This tour deals with movies and television, but it also makes clear that the French Quarter is a working historic district, not a film set built for visitors. You begin among old façades, busy streets, restaurants, and the visual details that make directors choose New Orleans in the first place.

Trevor typically starts by asking which New Orleans productions you care about. This simple question changes the feel of the walk. If you are an Originals fan, he can focus on locations tied to that series. If your group prefers older films, crime dramas, or Louisiana-set stories, he can bring those into the conversation.

That personal approach has an important benefit: you do not need to arrive with a long list of titles. You can mention one favorite, and the guide can connect it to other productions and to the buildings around you. Fans also appreciate that he asks whether you have finished a series before discussing plot details, which helps avoid unwanted spoilers.

Chartres Street and the first rush of film locations

From the starting point, the route follows Chartres Street from the Napoleon House Restaurant. This section gets the screen trivia moving quickly. The stated film list includes The Originals, NCIS: New Orleans, Your Honor, Runaway Jury, The Big Easy, Interview with the Vampire, Chef, Now You See Me, and Girls Trip.

The pleasure here is not simply standing in front of a building and being told its name. You are encouraged to look at doors, balconies, corners, masonry, and street angles. Those details help explain how a director can make a familiar block serve as several different places on screen.

Trevor also discusses the practical side of filming in the French Quarter. Productions have to work around traffic, narrow streets, old surfaces, local businesses, and a district that cannot simply be cleared for a camera crew. That behind-the-scenes angle gives the locations more meaning. You begin to notice why a particular view works, and what a production team had to manage to capture it.

The route includes newer television productions and older movies. That mix suits a group with different tastes. One person can follow The Originals, while another gets a story about King Creole, Live and Let Die, The Cincinnati Kid, or JFK. You may also hear about The Pelican Brief, The First 48, Renfield, and The Haunted Mansion.

Jackson Square: movies set against New Orleans itself

The walk crosses Jackson Square, one of the French Quarter’s most recognizable public spaces. Here, the tour shifts naturally from individual scenes to the city’s overall screen identity. Jackson Square gives productions a ready-made sense of place, with its open space, surrounding buildings, cathedral, and constant movement.

This is also where the history and architecture discussion becomes especially useful. The guide does not treat the square as a blank backdrop. He explains how the city’s design, old buildings, and local stories help shape the way New Orleans appears in film.

For fans of The Princess and the Frog, this part of the route adds another angle. The movie uses an imagined New Orleans, but its visual world draws from recognizable local features and traditions. The tour lets you compare the city you are walking through with the version created for the screen.

The square can also be a good place to pause and ask questions. The experience is built around conversation rather than a fixed lecture. Small groups make it easier to hear, stop for clarification, and steer the discussion toward the productions you care about most.

The Old Ursuline Convent and the halfway break

The route continues to the Old Ursuline Convent before looping back. This is one of the places where the tour’s two subjects, film and New Orleans, meet particularly well. You are not only checking off a set location. You are seeing an old French Quarter landmark that has the kind of atmosphere filmmakers seek when they want the city to feel mysterious, historic, or slightly uncanny.

The tour includes a halfway break, including a restroom opportunity. That may sound minor, but it matters on a two-hour walk, especially in warm or rainy weather. Use the pause to rest your feet, ask about a location you just passed, or decide which films you want to hear more about during the second half.

The walk takes place rain or shine. New Orleans weather can change the comfort level of the experience, so bring comfortable clothes and shoes with good support. Some walkways are old or unstable, and traffic remains a factor. The route is described as wheelchair accessible, but the activity is also listed as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments. If you have mobility concerns, ask for current route details before booking rather than relying on the general accessibility label.

Royal Street, LaLaurie Mansion, and the darker side of the tour

After the convent, you loop back along Royal Street toward the LaLaurie Mansion. The building is identified as the city’s most haunted house, and ghost stories form part of the broader commentary along the way.

This does not turn the experience into a dedicated ghost tour. The supernatural material works more as an extra flavor alongside film trivia, architecture, and local history. If you like the darker side of New Orleans, it adds atmosphere. If you prefer straight film facts, you can keep the conversation focused on productions and filming sites.

The LaLaurie Mansion also shows why location tours can be more rewarding than a list of studio facts. A movie or series often borrows the mood of a real building, but the building itself has a story before the cameras arrive. The guide’s job is to connect those layers without pretending that every famous façade played a starring role.

You may also hear about celebrity homes and sightings. The available details do not promise entry into private homes, so expect exterior references and stories rather than access. That is the right way to treat this part of the tour: as a look at how entertainment and local life overlap in a city where productions are a regular presence.

St. Louis Cathedral: ending in the heart of the Quarter

The walk ends at St. Louis Cathedral in the middle of the French Quarter. This is a convenient finish because you remain in a central part of the district, surrounded by places to eat, shop, explore, or continue sightseeing.

The ending also brings the tour back to the city rather than leaving you with only a collection of film references. You have walked through streets that have served as movie locations, but you have also learned how the Quarter’s architecture, old stories, and public spaces shape the image of New Orleans on screen.

Do not expect a full tour of every production filmed in the city. New Orleans has appeared in far more films and television shows than a two-hour walk can cover. The strength is in the selected route and the guide’s ability to explain why a location matters, then shift to another title when your interests call for it.

What Trevor McQueen adds to the experience

The guide makes the largest difference here. Trevor McQueen is described as a local who grew up in New Orleans and has spent considerable time researching the city’s productions. His approach combines film dates, location details, production anecdotes, architecture, and city recommendations.

That breadth matters. A guide who knows only movie titles can make this sort of walk feel like a scavenger hunt. Trevor’s wider knowledge gives you more to notice between filming locations. He can explain the city’s past, point out architectural clues, share ghost stories, and suggest places to see after the tour.

His conversational style is also useful for mixed groups. The walk can include people who know every episode of The Originals and others who only recognize The Big Easy. You can ask questions without needing specialist film knowledge, and the guide can adjust the level of detail.

The tour may sometimes feel almost private. Several departures have had very small groups, including walks with only one or two participants. That is a major advantage if you want tailored attention, though you should not assume every departure will be private.

One possible limitation is visual support. The tour does not specify that printed stills or a shared phone folder are provided. If you have trouble recalling scenes from memory, a building may not immediately look like its on-screen version. Bring your own screenshots if a particular show matters to you, and ask the guide to match them to the location when appropriate.

Is $30 a fair price for two hours?

At $30 per person, this is a reasonable price for a two-hour guided walk, especially if you would otherwise book both a French Quarter history tour and a movie-location experience. You get a live English-speaking guide, a planned route, a halfway break, and the chance to shape the discussion around your interests.

The value is less certain if you are not interested in films or television. The route still offers city history, architecture, ghost stories, and local recommendations, but the screen connection is the main reason to choose this particular walk.

Small groups improve the value. You have more time to ask about a favorite production, and the guide can make adjustments instead of delivering the same speech to a large crowd. The high rating of 4.7 from 103 ratings also suggests a reliably strong experience, though no rating can guarantee that every group will have the same size or guide dynamic.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start gives you useful flexibility, and reserve-now-pay-later booking lets you hold a place without paying immediately. The tour runs for two hours, with starting times subject to availability.

Who should book this New Orleans movie tour?

I would choose this tour if you have a strong connection to a New Orleans production, especially The Originals, NCIS: New Orleans, or Interview with the Vampire. It is also a good pick if your group includes different film tastes and you want one guide who can move from classic movies to current television.

It suits first-time visitors who want a French Quarter orientation with a clear theme. The guide’s recommendations can help you plan the rest of your visit, and the route introduces several streets and landmarks without taking up an entire day.

You may want another kind of tour if you dislike walking, need a fully smooth route, or want to see interiors and extensive film clips. This experience focuses on outdoor locations and conversation. It is also not the best match if you want a tour devoted only to vampire stories, since the route covers many other productions and city subjects.

Final call: book it for the personal touch

Book this $30 tour if you want screen trivia connected to real streets, buildings, and New Orleans stories. The best feature is the personal exchange with Trevor McQueen, especially when a small group lets him shape the walk around your favorite shows.

Bring supportive shoes, arrive early at the courthouse steps, and prepare for sun, rain, traffic, and old pavement. If you want to get more from the visit, arrive with two or three favorite titles and a few screenshots. That turns a general movie walk into a much more personal look at the French Quarter on screen.

FAQ

Where does the New Orleans Movie and TV Show Tour begin?

It begins at 400 Royal Street, on the steps of the Supreme Court Building across from Brennan’s Restaurant.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $30 per person.

What language is the tour in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Which movie and television locations are included?

The tour includes locations connected with NCIS: New Orleans, The Originals, Your Honor, Runaway Jury, The Big Easy, Interview with the Vampire, Chef, Now You See Me, The Princess and the Frog, Live and Let Die, King Creole, Girls Trip, The Pelican Brief, JFK, The Haunted Mansion, The Cincinnati Kid, Renfield, and The First 48, among others.

What places does the walking route visit?

The route follows Chartres Street from the Napoleon House Restaurant, crosses Jackson Square, reaches the Old Ursuline Convent, loops back along Royal Street at the LaLaurie Mansion, and ends at St. Louis Cathedral.

Is there a break during the walk?

Yes. A halfway break is included, with a restroom break available during the tour.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes and comfortable clothing. The tour takes place rain or shine, so prepare for the weather.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible, but it is also marked as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments. Some walkways may be old or unstable, so confirm current conditions before booking if mobility is a concern.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.